Benefit auction raises thousands for Oklahoma sisters who lost both parents within 48 hours

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PRAGUE, Okla. – FFA chapters across the state are coming together to help two of their own.

Emily, 16, and Hallie Cooper, 11, lost both their mother and their father in a tragic 48-hour period.

Their passion for FFA runs in the family.

Emily Cooper says, “I would always look for my mom whenever I would show my animals just to make sure they looked okay. The day after whenever we were at the county show, just natural instinct looked up for her.”

They never imagined after watching their mother suffer from a heart attack one day and learning their father had died in a car accident the next that they would have any reason to smile until now.

“Just taking it one day at a time,” says Emily. “That’s all I think about.”

The FFA community has overwhelmed them with love and support.

The phone calls, letters, thoughts and prayers come from all over the world.

Prague FFA Advisor Tanner Thompson says, “When we started this I thought we were just kind of raising a few dollars to help this family out."

A few dollars turned into $80,000 with an online benefit auction and more than $20,000 and counting on their fundraising website.

“We started out with a $10,000 goal. That was just because you had to set a goal when you started,” says Thompson. “I never even thought that we would hit that. Then we hit that goal. I said well let`s see if we can double it!”

“We used to have to go without with mom,” says Emily. “She tried her best to do the best for us. Now it`s good to know that people are really helping us.”

Feeling the love and support leaves the Cooper girls speechless.

They say they know now they're not alone.

“After it happened I just felt like I couldn’t talk to anybody and nobody would know how I feel,” says Emily. “There’s other people out there that have went through it and their willing to help.”

Their next fundraising venture will be a live benefit auction and pig roast which will be held at the Prague Community Center on April 5th at 6 p.m. $10 will get you a meal and a bid number.

For more information on how to get involved contact Tanner Thompson, Prague FFA Advisor, at (405) 226-9636.

You can also contribute through the Crystal Cooper Memorial Fund at BankFirst or by clicking here.